Beloved Reader,

Isn’t it amazing that our great God meets us where we are and reveals bits of Himself to us? James 1:17 (NIV) says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

There are so many dimensions or facets to our God, and one of the ways that He shares Himself with us is through gifts."

First Corinthians 12:4-6 says, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."

Our lives are blessed by the gifts God chooses to share with us. Yet, we often shy away from them. I avoided writing for many years. There were a lot of reasons for that, but one strong one was I thought it would be a mistake to spend so many hours dwelling on fiction. But oh, how much I've learned about Him through writing novels.

In the Amish Vines and Orchards series, Rhoda struggles with an unusual gift. God sometimes gives her insight into a particular person or future event. Because of the slave-girl soothsayer we read about in Acts 16:16, the one Paul rebuked, demanding an evil spirit leave her, Christians are often suspicious of Rhoda’s type of gift, and rightly so. Is it truly from God?

Rhoda believes her gift is from God, but she isn’t sure what He wants her to do with it. Does God want her to use it to protect and encourage the people around her? Or is it a gift that she should keep hidden away?

I hope The Winnowing Season speaks to your heart as much as it did mine.

When I Say, “I Am a Christian”
by Carol Wimmer

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost!
That’s why I chose this way”
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble—
needing God to be my guide
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are all too visible
but God believes I’m worth it
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek His name
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved

Copyright 1988 by Carol Wimmer. Used by permission.

The Winnowing Season hit store shelves TODAY!

The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

Can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?

Click here to read the first chapter of The Winnowing Season.

Friday, April 5th, 2013, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Waves of Mercy Spring Benefit

Mooresville, Alabama

The Dance Hall
Casual/Barn Dance Attire

Waves of Mercy is a charity auction benefiting Mercy Ministries, which provides an opportunity for young women who face a combination of life-controlling issues to experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and life-transforming power through a faith-based residential program. Cindy will be attending and available to sign books!

Ticket sales ending soon! Get yours now by clicking on the Waves of Mercy image.

Thursday, April 25, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Book Event with Gwinnett County’s Library System

Norcross, Georgia

Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center
10 College Street
Norcross, Georgia 30071

Phone: 678-421-2000

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Monday, April 29, 2013, 7:15 p.m.
DeKalb County Library Event on Writing

Ever thought of writing a novel? Come learn the tips and tricks to writing commercial fiction by New York Times best-selling author and former Gwinnett County homeschool mom, Cindy Woodsmall.

Eagle Eye will have books for you to purchase, and Cindy will sign them!

Decatur, Georgia

DeKalb County Public Library
215 Sycamore Street
Decatur, Georgia 30030

Phone: 404-370-8450

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Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Speaking Engagement

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Warren County Public Library
1225 State Street
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101

Phone: 270-781-4882

Amish Connection

It’s that time again—AMISH SCHOOL SALE AUCTION!

Join Rachel's Country Store for special sales and events April 10th through 13th! For more information on Rachel's exciting upcoming events, click here.

Rachel's Country Store is owned and operated by an Old Order Amish family.

Dutch Apple Pie

Crumb Topping

2 cups quick oats
2/3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter (no substitutions)
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Apple Pie Filling

6 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I use a variety, including a few Granny Smith apples, for best flavor)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon butter (no substitutions)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare apples and place in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Set aside.

Combine water, sugar, butter, and cornstarch, in a medium saucepan. Cook until thickened. Stir in apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Pour into your favorite unbaked pie shell.

Sprinkle topping over apples. Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool a bit before serving. This pie is especially scrumptious when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Baking Tip: You may use a pie crust shield or cover the rim of the pie crust with strips of foil for the first half of baking time to allow the best flaky-crust experience without over-browning.

Thank you, Sherry Gore, for the delicious recipe!

Sherry Gore is editor-in-chief of Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living magazine, author of Simply Delicious Amish Cooking, and a weekly scribe for the national edition of the 120-year-old Amish newspaper, The Budget. Sherry is a year-round resident of Sarasota, Florida, the vacation paradise of the Plain People. She has three children and is a member of a Beachy Amish Mennonite church. She’s a caregiver to her twenty-something daughter, a Sunday school teacher, a cooking show host, and an official pie-contest judge.

Follow Sherry on her Facebook page
You can also find her at www.sherrygore.com

Contests

I’m offering regular giveaways on my blog and on Facebook. I invite you to join me on one or both of those. The contests for the blog and Facebook are separate from each other, so if you’re not on Facebook, you aren’t left out! We’ve redesigned the blog with you in mind—a place to enjoy learning about the Plain life, articles written by me and some by Plain friends, giveaways, and a comment section where we can chat. I hope you’ll join us!

Coming this Thursday:

Lifeway’s Christian fiction blog will be offering an exciting giveaway on Thursday, April 4. Keep an eye out for a chance to win the beautiful wall hanging pictured below by visiting http://blog.lifeway.com/christianfiction/.

2013 Amish-Made Quilt Giveaway

To enter, go here.

I love offering this Amish-made Quilt Contest each year, and I hope you’ll join in the fun! You can read the few necessary rules on my website. The contest will close December 31, 2013, with the last entry accepted at midnight. A winner will be notified on or near January 15, 2014. The winner will be announced as soon as she or he responds to the notification.